Doctor Who fans thrilled to see trans ally David Tennant pop up in Heartstopper
David Tennant played the Doctor from 2006 to 2010. (Getty)
Season three of Heartstopper has given us a lot in terms of heart-warming romance and gut-wrenching storylines – and now we’re getting the crossover we never knew we needed with a cameo by David Tennant in his Doctor Who years.
In episode five of the new series, Charlie (Joe Locke) is sitting on the sofa with boyfriend Nick (Kit Connor) when the camera pans to the TV, giving viewers a glimpse of Tennant and Catherine Tate in the 2006 Doctor Who Christmas Special “The Runaway Bride.”
The episode marked the introduction of Tate as Donna Noble, who later returned as a permanent companion.
The scene in Heartstopper was fleeting but fans of both shows were incredibly excited.
One person exclaimed: “I screamed so loud. They’re watching the David Tennant Doctor Who episode for Christmas. This is everything.” Another said: “Literally was giggling and kicking my feet.”
A third wrote: “As a Whovian, this warms my heart.” And someone else said: “They are men of culture watching Doctor Who.”
Several fans also joked about Charlie and Nick getting “a shock” when they reach the episode titled “The Star Beast”, which aired earlier this year as part of the long-running sci-fi show’s 60th anniversary celebrations.
It featured Tennant and Tate reprising their roles, as well as Yasmin Finney playing Donna’s trans daughter, Rose Noble.
In Heartstopper, Yasmin Finney plays Charlie and Nick’s friend, Elle.
The trailer for the this year’s festive special revealed that Finney would be returning as Rose, with showrunner Russell T Davies saying: “She’s absolutely terrific and she has more appearances to come, simply because I adore working with her.”
David Tennant is an inspiring LGBTQ+ ally
Tennant and his wife Georgia are vocal allies of the LGBTQ+ community, in particular throwing their support behind young transgender and non-binary people.
Good Omens star Tennant has been spotted wearing a T-shirt urging bigots to “leave trans kids alone” as well as telling former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch to “shut up” with her negative comments about transgender people. He also regularly wears Pride pins that include non-binary, trans and rainbow flags, in the shape of the Tardis.
In a clip shared on TikTok earlier this year, Tennant compared the ongoing trans rights row to how “gay rights” were “weaponised politically” when he was growing up, which “always felt ugly and nasty”.
He went on to say: “Now, there is a similar weaponisation of these topics being taken by mostly the right wing, or certain sections of society, to create friction and conflict and division where it needn’t be. It’s just about people being themselves. You don’t need to be bothered about it. F**k off and let people be.”
What will he be starring in next?
Tennant is set to appear in Rivals, an adaptation of the saucy Jilly Cooper novel, the second of her “Rutshire Chronicles.” He stars as Lord Tony Baddingham, the controller of Corinium Television, who is in a long-running battle with a local politician.
The official synopsis describes the series as being “packed full of romantic entanglements, dastardly deals, and sex… set against the backdrop of the excess and shocking antics of the power-grabbing social elite of 80s England.”
Tennant previously told The Mirror that he was keen to get involved with Rivals as soon as he saw the script. “I told Georgia and she was convinced this was something I had to be involved with. She knew the books from her teenage years, and knew that this was going to make sensational television.”
Despite his character being something of a villain, Tennant said that Baddingham is just misunderstood.
“From the inside, no character believes they’re a villain, do they? I think Tony’s motivations are clear. He’s very easy to understand in many ways. Tony sees himself as hard-done-by and someone who’s just struggling to survive and win.”
Given that Cooper’s novels often feature steamy sex scenes, it’s not surprising that Tennant has promised the show will also be “a little racy”. And producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins vowed: “We’ve had equal opportunities in our nudity. There’s a willy for every pair of t*ts.”
Tennant and will be joined by former EastEnders star Danny Dyer, Sex Education‘s Bella Maclean and Poldark heart-throb Aidan Turner.
Rivals will be available to stream on Disney+ from 18 October.
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